


Assassin (New Version)

by LostCommander13



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Action, MinorLanguage, PossibleTriggersLaterInTheStory, Violence, originalcharacter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-06-06 08:13:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15190580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostCommander13/pseuds/LostCommander13
Summary: "Why would you count on luck? Luck won't always favor you and your wants."----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I never wanted to be a killer.But I didn't really have a choice.Maybe the things I did make me no better than the Empire.There's only so much someone can take before they either fight back, give in, or shatter.I would not give into them.And I wouldn't let them shatter me.I really didn't have a choice.





	1. Run

_** Chapter 1: Run ** _

_Jazen’s POV:_

        You know that feeling you get when you’re being watched? I had gotten used to the feeling over the years, especially when walking through crowded places like the markets of Lothal. Not just one pair of eyes boring into me. Dozens of them. It set my nerves on edge more than they usually were. It was like those people could just tell I was different in some way or another. Even with my hood pulled low and my sunglasses hiding my eye color, it was like they could tell I was a ‘criminal’. Not that a lot of people knew what I actually looked like. They knew of me, probably knew my eye color, but they didn’t actually know me. It made things a bit easier for me, though.

        A couple of Stormtroopers walked past where I had stopped, holding their weapons ready. They didn’t so much as glance at me as they walked on by. My hand twitched to grab my pistol. My knife. Anything. But I forced myself to relax a little. I couldn’t exactly start a fire fight around so many civilians. I had expected the Stormtroopers would be on high-alert after the latest stunt I had pulled. What else _could_ be expected when you destroyed half of their base?

        Even if the explosion was an accident. I had planted the explosive, and armed it, but not with the intent of detonating the thing until it was absolutely necessary. In hindsight, keeping the remote detonator in my pocket probably wasn’t the best idea, but there wouldn’t have been a problem had that cadet not tackled me.

        I adjusted the bag slung over my shoulder as I walked, then brushed some of my dark blonde hair out of my face and ran over the list in my head. _Food. Water. Gloves. Shirts._ The credits I had gotten from selling stolen weapons would be more than enough for that. I’d put off clothes shopping until I couldn’t anymore. I was down to my last wearable shirt.

        Slipping through the crowd to get to a vendor selling clothing was easy. I grabbed new black leather gloves first. My last pair had gotten practically shredded by metal cables. The shirts I grabbed were an assortment of the same colors I normally wore, mainly greys and blacks. I handed the credits over to the merchant after figuring up my total myself. Numbers were easier to deal with than words. The Rodian took my money without a word, and I walked away, shoving the shirts into my bag. I went ahead and pulled on the new gloves, having a little trouble pulling it over my bracelet.

        I noticed a pair of Stormtroopers harassing one of the sellers. Unsurprisingly, everyone else had given them a wide berth. _Don’t start a firefight…_ I warned myself. Even so, I couldn’t help but walked between them and the obviously scared lady. I shoved one of the Troopers a little as I did. The other one gripped my shoulder.

        Feigning annoyance, I pushed his hand away and snapped, “What?”

        “Interfering with Imperial business will get you arrested.”

        “Last I checked, antagonizing citizens isn’t your job.”

        Realizing I wasn’t going to be very cooperative, the other Stormtrooper walked over. Using the distraction, the lady darted away without looking back.

        “Go back to your parents, kid, before you get in more trouble for trying to decide what is and isn’t our business.” I couldn’t see his eyes, but it was almost painfully obvious that he was studying me as he spoke. “It’s not your place.”

        “Then I’ll just have to make it my place.”

        I snatched his blaster away and ran off with it. They didn’t expect that, and it took a second before they inevitably chased me. Starting a blaster fight with all the people around, but I _could_ draw them away from the civilians. I got a nice head start due to how easy it was to duck through the crowds. They’d only made it halfway through. I dashed into an alley to wait. Stormtroopers were ridiculously predictable. Absently, I checked to see if the blaster was charged while I started counting.

        Two minutes, thirty-seven seconds later, the Stormtroopers caught up to me. I was still leaning against the wall where the alley ended, twirling the blaster in my left hand.

        “Kid, you’re already in enough trouble and we don’t have time for games. Give us the blaster.”

        “What games?” I asked innocently. I swapped the blaster to my other hand slowly so they wouldn’t notice, then made a finger-gun at them, mimicking a blaster’s recoil. “Bang.” It worked. Neither of them noticed my other hand lifting the _actual_ blaster.

        Two quick shots to the chest and their bodies crumpled, thudding softly to the ground. I heard a couple shouts from nearby at the gunfire, followed by footsteps heading my way. I leveled the blaster again, taking a few steps away from the wall. Climbing it would be much easier with a running start.

        Four people ran into the alley, visibly armed. But they didn’t look Imperial. Only one of them was wearing a helmet, and it was clearly Mandalorian. One of them had shoulder armor, another had a shin guard, and the last one didn’t seem to be wearing armor. _That’s… that’s a Lasat._ And, okay, he did worry me a little. I hadn’t fought a Lasat before. They looked from the bodies to me, then back again. I lowered the blaster and relaxed a little. They weren’t Imperial.

        Until the man took a step towards me, his hand up like he wanted to say something. Or stop me from running. My knife was in my hand before I even realized I had moved.

        He stopped and studied me for a second, while I studied them more closely, taking note of who had what weapons. The three humans had blasters, while the Lasat had a weapon I wasn’t familiar with.

        “What?” I asked, trying to make my voice sound a bit deeper than it was.

        “We heard blaster fire,” the man explained.

        “Don’t,” I snapped when he took another step forward. It was one thing to back myself into a corner. _Being_ backed into a corner sucked. “Stay back.”

        “ _You_ shot them?” the Mandalorian asked. The voice was high-pitched, so I figured it was a girl.

        “Obviously.”

        I tossed the blaster over to the bodies. _Wouldn’t get enough money for that._ I sheathed my knife and studied them cautiously once more before turning and running at the wall, landing about halfway up, my foot slipping for half a second until I got a foothold. I was up the wall within seconds. Something made me stop at the top, and turn around to examine them again. Surprisingly, the man’s gaze met mine. Something was strange about them. Not disconcertingly strange, just… off. _Food can wait._ I climbed down the wall, debating whether or not I would head back to my hideout, or check in with Darrick.

_He’s probably glad you’ve been away._

_Shut up. He’s most likely worried by now because I haven’t contacted him for a couple months._

_Like he really cares about you._

        I groaned and tried to ignore the voice as I headed towards my hideout. It had been getting worse; the arguments with myself became more frequent. Maybe being on my own was starting to take its toll on me.

        Unfortunately, there wasn’t much I could do about it.


	2. Backup

_** Chapter 2: Backup ** _

_Jazen’s POV:_

        I started planning my next major mission only a week after the last one. I hadn’t planned on doing so the day I went shopping, but staying at my hideout left me jittery and pacing with too much energy. I had grabbed my rifle and macrobinoculars before heading out. Which lead to me sitting on a rooftop across from an Imperial complex far enough away from my last mission that Imperials would be hard-pressed to link them together. I peered through my binoculars at the complex, jotting down notes about their security in my open notebook with my free hand.

_Recon today, strike day after tomorrow_ , I decided, tapping my pen against the paper.     

        Their security wasn’t the best, nor was it nonexistent. Two Troopers posted at both entrances, the guard rotating roughly every hour. Keypads by the doors. And there were a couple cables snaking up the wall that could provide easy access to the roof. Those would be easy enough to deal with and beneficial.

        The Walker stationed outside was definitely a problem. A pretty big problem.

        I lowered the binoculars but didn’t put them down, thinking. _Blowing it up is definitely an option, but not if I’m going for stealth. If I abandoned stealth, I could use my T-7…_

        An explosion ripped me out of my thoughts, and I watched the Walker collapse. Four figures rushed out of various hiding places that I noticed after they’d abandoned them. Curious, I raised my binoculars to get a better look as they took out the guards. _Looks like those people from earlier… Guess I_ was _right, then._ The alarm started blaring, audible even from outside. _So much for stealth… If I leave now, the security will be ramped up._ I stashed my binoculars and notebook in my bag, snatched up my rifle, and started down the building. There wouldn’t be a better time to get what I came for than in the midst of chaos.

* * *

        The alarm only got louder once I was inside, reaching borderline annoying levels, but I more or less tuned it out. There was already a blaster fight going on across the room. I couldn’t see the Stormtroopers’ assailants, but it was safe to assume it was the people that had caused the explosion. Running in there totally blind was _not_ an option. I wouldn’t be doing _that_ ever again. Fastest way to get where I needed to be…

        Crossing the battlefield was the best option. I shifted my rifle off my back, adjusting my grip on it as I ran over to the fighting. I went mostly unnoticed by the Stormtroopers- an advantage, and the few that did were occupied by the Rebels. A quick count told me there were twenty Troopers still standing, roughly half that already shot. I took down six more on my way, alternating between head shots and chest shots. I almost kept running through the door to the other room when it opened, but the entrance was blocked by at least forty more Troopers. I skidded to a stop and backed away, firing repeatedly and dodging the return fire.

        I dove behind a stack of crates, realizing I was uncomfortably close to the Rebels that had started the attack. As much as I liked my rifle, my pistols were a more efficient choice. Faster firing rate and more maneuverability. Between me and the other people, I couldn’t keep track of how many Stormtroopers fell.

_This is taking way too long._ I looked around, letting instinct take care of the shooting for the time being. There was an officer, barking orders into a comlink. He’d have a code cylinder for the doors. He wouldn’t have access to the room I needed to get to, but something was better than nothing.

_Back to stealth, then._ I holstered my pistols, loosened my rifle’s strap a bit, and slipped past the Rebels. Two of them glanced at me as I walked by, but I ignored it. The officer hadn’t noticed me.

        By the time he _did_ notice, it was too late. I was already hitting him in the head with the butt of my rifle. _No more reinforcements for now..._  I fished the code cylinder out of his pocket. When I turned around to head for the door, I came face to face with the muzzle of a blaster. By the time the threat fully registered, I had already slung my rifle back into place and dived beneath the gun, tackling the Stormtrooper cadet holding it, taking him by surprise.

        The gun skittered out of his grip. He was bigger than me, and, once he’d recovered from the shock of being tackled, started fighting for control. Before he got much of a chance to gain the upper-hand, I was back up and balancing lightly on my feet.

        He glared at me, his helmet having long since been knocked off, and stood.

        His attack was somewhat clumsy after hitting his head in the fall.

        The look of shock on his face when I caught his foot mid-kick had me smile a little bit, right before I swept his other leg out from beneath him. He fell sideways and back, but, as much as it was kind of amusing, I had bigger things to focus on. He was out cold from the impact, which was helpful.

        I fixed my rifle so it rested on my back properly. Sometimes it just felt _great_ to go hand-to-hand with people. I walked up to the door and put the code cylinder in place. Someone walked up behind me while I was waiting for the thing to clear.

        I pivoted to face whoever it was and raised my pistol in the same motion. Seeing it was just one of the Rebels, I switched my blaster to stun. No way was I holstering it, though.

        “I’m not going to-” the man started.

        “What do you want?” I cut in, not wanting to listen to the same-usually false- spiel people always gave. I reached behind me when the scanner beeped, subtly taking the cylinder and slipping it into my pocket, all the while maintaining eye-contact with the man. “Either tell me what you want or _back up_. Actually, just back up regardless.”

        Shockingly- maybe not that much so, considering I was armed, even though he was, too _-_ he retreated a few steps. “I just wanted to talk to you. What happened in the alley and now here-”

        “-is _none_ of your concern,” I interrupted. “You’re here to do your thing, and I’m here to do mine.” I stepped into the corridor just as the door closed, immediately turning to face the other way.

        Nothing. _Yet._ I pulled my hood up. My height already made me stand out more than I’d ever liked, and the hood helped hide my face. _Shoulda brought your sunglasses._ I pushed the voice to the back of my mind.

        The alarm was really grating on my nerves in the enclosed space. After a few minutes of walking, an ISB agent ran around the corner. I stopped at the same time he did. I let him level his blaster at me, let him think I was too shocked to move.

        I even let him take the first shot.

        I side-stepped the blast, then pivoted and drew my own pistol in one motion. _Code cylinder with the clearance I need. Perfect._ I jogged around for a bit until I found the office I was looking for, having not encountered any other Imperials. They were probably otherwise occupied.

        The data-pad wasn’t hard to find once I was in there. I grabbed it and tucked it into the inner pocket on my jacket.

        The alarm finally stopped blaring. I took a second to calm down a bit, which was a mistake. Once some of the adrenaline had dissipated, I became aware of my pounding headache. _Shit._

        I slipped back into the hall and threw the code cylinder as far in the opposite direction as I could before heading out.

        I hadn’t made it far before I found myself faced with… seven Troopers’ blasters pointed at me.

        They’d figured out someone was sneaking around the base without the rest of the Rebels.

        And my headache only got worse.

        I ran. I couldn’t risk the data-pad getting damaged in a blaster fight, not if I wanted an electronic lock breaker and a new speeder-bike. I got a couple seconds’s lead on the Stormtroopers. That was good enough.

_Odds are they’re covering the obvious exits. So going out the way I came in is not an option._

_So what are you gonna do, idiot?_

_Shut up and let me think!_

        I noticed the vent while I was running. _That’s certainly not obvious. Okay, a little obvious. But it’s not like they can follow me. I’ll be fine as long as I’m not seen._ I slowed just enough to pry it open with my knife, then pulled myself up into the space. The cover thudded back down once I was inside, and I winced at the noise before I started moving. _At least I’m not claustrophobic._ Even with my slight frame, having my rifle with me made the vent feel a little cramped. The weapon’s presence was comforting regardless. First problem was solved.   

_Now I just have to get out of here without losing or damaging the datapad._


	3. Help

** Chapter 3: Help **

_Jazen’s POV:_

        “This wasn’t a good idea,” I muttered.

        Going into the ventilation shafts wasn’t the problem; getting _out_ of the vents was a different story. I’d come across a handful of exits, all of which led into rooms with Imperials. I could’ve just shot them, but then I’d have had to work my way back out of the complex with a ton of Imperials after me.

_I may be quick, but I’m not invincible. There’s gotta be a way out that avoids me getting kriffing swarmed with Imperials._ I couldn’t just count on luck, whether the luck was in my favor or the Empire’s.

        I noticed the light streaming into the vent and crawled towards it. My head was still pulsing dully.

        The voice was much more irritating than the headache, though.

_This is pointless. You know that, don’t you? You’ll never be really safe until you let go and do what you really want to do._

_Why the hell would I listen to you? Your last idea would’ve gotten innocent people killed. I don’t want that._

        “Shit’s sake, shut up,” I muttered.

        I couldn’t see much through the vent, but it definitely led outside. Problem was, I had absolutely no idea what was at ground level.

_See? You_ are _stupid._

        “I said shut up.”

_Kriff it, I’m going._ I was able to push that vent cover open before turning onto my back. Best option would be to go up the wall. Laying on my rifle that way put pressure on one of the bruises on my back, but I tried to ignore that.

_What if the wall is too smooth to find purchase?_

_Then this stupid, idiotic plan will end in you getting shot or falling to your death. Congratu-krffing-lations!_

        “Just. Shut. Up.” Five minutes. I just wanted five minutes of quiet. “If I can’t climb it, then I’ll figure something else out. But not if I’m distracted by the _arguing inside my head_! So shut up.”

_You’re stupid enough to actually think you can do anything about it?_

        I didn’t respond to that. Nothing I said would make a difference anyway. It never had. So I focused my attention on figuring out if I’d be able to climb the wall.

        “At least people hardly ever look up.”

_Just hurry the hell up before they_ do _look up and murder you, dumbass._

        “This really was a shit idea,” I grumbled.

_Most of your ideas are shit._

        “Kriff you.” I left it at that, mostly ignoring the voice afterwards while trying to discern whether or not I’d be able to climb up.

        If things went bad, I could get out of the area then come back for my satchel. If things really went to shit, I could just leave it there. There wasn’t anything terribly important in it. It wasn’t like I’d been using one of Dad’s notebooks for notes.

        While I was searching for a handhold, I caught hold of a cable. One of the cables I’d seen earlier. I grabbed it and pulled myself out of the vent, using the open vent to stand on for a moment so I could get a good grip on the cable.

        That hesitation was a mistake.

        Blaster shots started hitting the wall around me. The closest one almost caused me to lose my grip when it nearly hit my side.

        “Shit.”

        So I hauled myself up the wall as fast as possible. Holding the cable irritated the still-healing scratches on my hands despite my gloves, but getting shot would be worse. It only took about ten seconds to get to the roof. At best, I’d have maybe five minutes to figure out what to do.

        The other building wasn’t within jumping distance. I couldn’t get my bag easily enough to make it worth the risk.

        Then I heard the ever obnoxious whine.

        “Dammit… Of kriffing _course_ there’s a TIE.”

        I jumped out of the path of the TIE’s fire as it hit the roof where I had been standing. The firing rate gave me enough time to avoid its fire, but eventually, it would either hit me regardless or destroy the roof trying.

        I was probably screwed.

        I winced as one of the shots skimmed my leg as I dove in attempt to get out of its path. I gritted my teeth in pain. It didn’t cause bleeding, but I’d more than likely open the wound running, and it burned the area around it.

_Stupid kriffing moron._

        I heard the other ship a couple minutes later.

_Damn._ I tried to get the best look at it that I could without getting myself shot. It didn’t _look_ Imperial, but that didn’t mean it was a good thing. It could’ve been someone that wanted me dead anyway. It wasn’t a very big ship.

        Didn’t expect it to destroy the TIE. Or for the ramp to open.

_Remember the pirates last year? That ended badly for me._

_Dumbass, do you have  a less idiotic plan?_

        I honestly didn’t have a plan at all, but I still had the scars from the pirate ordeal. I heard people, probably Stormtroopers coming onto the roof behind me.

        I ran and jumped, rolling to lessen the impact once I was in the ship. Rolling with my rifle wasn’t exactly the best thing to do, but whatever. Rolling in the small space wasn’t that great of a thing either. I ended up rolling into a crate, presumably full of blasters or other weapons. When I sat up as the ramp closed, the Mandalorian and Lasat were looking down at me.

        I probably should have said something to them. But I just stood up and fixed my rifle so it rested properly on my back. Mandalorians were very good in combat, and the Lasat was easily twice my size.

_Damn idiot. I knew you were a complete dumbass._ I groaned and pulled at my jacket zipper. “What do you gain from helping me?”

        “What?”

        “I’m assuming you helped me for a reason. What is it?”

        She raised her eyebrow at me. “That was direct.”

        “I’m standing on a ship I haven’t seen before with people that probably want to  hurt me. Doesn’t seem like a situation I’d want to stay in very long.”

        “You jumped onto this ship,” the man flying pointed out.

        “Doesn’t make it a _good_ situation, just the best of two situations.” I faced them while I spoke, not willing to turn my back on anyone.

        Yeah, they were Rebels, which meant, technically, we were on the same side. But no way was I dumb enough to just trust them.

        “If this is about joining your team, it’s a no. If this is about doing some job for you, the cost depends on risk. Pay me two-thirds of it up front.”

        “Isn’t it usually half up front?” the boy asked.

        “Yeah. So?”

        “And we haven’t discussed you joining us. Maybe you’ll change your mind,” the man pointed out.

        “Doubtful. It would have to be a hell of a good deal for me to agree to it.”

        He shrugged. “At least hear us out. We did just save your life. You can get your leg looked at, by the way.”

        I glanced down at the wound. “I’ll handle it myself. It’s not major anyway.”

        “Not major?” the girl asked. “That looks like a second-degree burn.”

        “I’ll handle it myself,” I repeated.

        It was getting moderately annoying to keep speaking in a deeper voice, but I didn’t know them. Not that my normal voice was very recognizable, but still.

        “What were you doing at that base, anyway?”

        Best guess was that the man was the leader. The girl or the Lasat _could_ have been the leader, but he seemed more like a leader from what I could tell.

        “Stole something,” I answered. “Same as you, judging by the weapon’s crate.”

        “That’s right.”

        I didn’t say anything, focusing mostly on the larger ship I could see through the viewport. _This is either going to go badly for me, badly for them, or maybe okay._

_So it’s going to go just like most of your stupid ideas._

        “Shut up. This was _your_ idea.”

        “What?”

        I sighed. “Nothing. It was nothing.”

        "Well, we're here."

        The ship docked with the larger one, and he gestured for me to head into the other ship.

        "Yeah, no. You first."

        I waited until they climbed down to follow.  _Here goes nothing._


End file.
